Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	comforter_n	father_n	spirit_n	4,076	5	5.9897	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41497	The pagans debt and dowry, or, A brief discussion of these questions how far and in what sence such persons of mankinde amongst whom the letter of the Gospel never came are not withstanding bound to believe on Jesus Christ (with some other particulars relating hereunto) : returned by way of answer to a discourse in writing lately sent without name (together with a letter subscribed only T.S.) unto Mr. John Goodwin, the author as yet unknown to him, yer (as appears by the said discourse) a person of worth and learning, and (as he supposeth) a minister of the Gospel / by the said John Goodvvin.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1651 (1651)	Wing G1186; ESTC R30309	41,506	67

had left men free from all and all manner of Command and Obligation to Repent under the former and onely charged them with this duty under the latter but onely sheweth or supposeth that that Obligation to repent which lay upon men under the former the times of ignorance was but weak faint obscure and with little authority upon the Consciences of men in comparison of that tye obligation or engagement hereunto which God by an express Command imposeth upon the World under the latter the times of the Gospel This to be the genuine and true import of the said Antithesis appears 1. By the frequent and familiar usage of the Scripture in like cases 2. By consideration of the state and condition of the Heathen throughout the World in the Point in question before the times of the Gospel First It is a thing of frequent Observation amongst Expositors and Divines that the Holy Ghost intending to mention and assert any considerable encrease or advance of some former Dispensation is wont to express it in simple positive and absolute terms and as if it were a new kinde of Dispensation and which had not formerly been known or heard of in the World i Thus the Promises made to Abraham Gen. 12. concerning the multiplication of his seed and their inheriting the Land of Canaan are afterwards as viz. Cap. 17. 2 4 5 c. again mentioned and expressed as if they had now been new or first made onely because they are expressed more largely fully and emphatically When Christ spake thus to his Disciples after his Resurrection These are the words which I spake unto you whilest I was yet WITH YOU Luk. 24. 44. in this latter clause whilest I was yet with you he insinuates his present being with them by way of Antithesis to his former being with them viz. before his Death not as if he were not now present with them as well as he had been formerly but because his being now with them was of a more transcendent and peculiar nature and consideration then his former presence had been in as much as he was now in the estate of the Resurrection whereas in his former being with them he was but in the ordinary condition of men When Moses and the Priests spake thus unto all Israel Take heed and harken O Israel that this day thou art become the People of the Lord thy God Deut. 27. 9. their meaning was not to imply that they never had been the People of the Lord until now i. e. a People whom God had owned and countenanced from Heaven taken into Covenant with himself c. but that God by the constant Tenor of his gracious Administrations towards them from time to time until that day had made them now more his People then ever had further declared himself to be their God and to accept and own them for a People peculiar to him then formerly and that upon this account it concerned them more neerly then ever to harken unto him and obey his voyce In like Notion our Saviour promiseth his Disciples that he will pray the Father and that he should give them another Comforter even the Spirit of Truth when as in the very same period or passage of speech he affirmeth that this Comforter or Spirit was already given them or which is the same dwelt now with or in them Joh. 14. 15 16. So that he mentioneth a larger Effusion or Donation of the same Spirit as if it were the primitive or first gift thereof In like manner when being now upon his Journey for the raising of Lazarus from the dead he saith to his Disciples I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent that you MIGT BELEEVE Joh. 11. 15. he expresseth their beleeving to a further degree as if it were the first of their beleeving and that they had not beleeved before Whereas it is evident from Joh. 2. 11 22. and other places that they had beleeved on him before When the Apostle affirms this to be Gods end in chastising his People That they might be Partakers of his Holiness Hebr. 12. 10. he doth not suppose that they were in no degree partakers of his Holiness before their chastisement but he expresseth a fuller and richer participation hereof as if it were a simple absolute or original participation in this kinde So again when the Evangelist John saith that the Holy Ghost was not yet given because Jesus was not glorified Joh. 7. 39. his meaning is not that the Spirit had in no measure been formerly given for questionless all those who under the Law beleeved and so those who in the days of our Saviours converse on Earth before his Glorification beleeved unto Justification were led hereunto by the Spirit here spoken of but he expresseth that abundant and most remarkable Donation and pouring out of it upon the Apostles and others after upon and by vertue of Christs Ascention into Glory as if it had been the first and only giving of it And it is a good rule or observation which Testardus delivers hereupon Those things saith he are said not to be or not to be done before the times of the Gospel which do less or not appear or are less perceived or felt before this fulness of times k So that when the Apostle saith in the Scripture under debate that God now in the times of the Gospel commandeth all men every where to repent it doth not necessarily imply that God never till now commanded the same thing I mean Repentance unto them but that now he commanded it upon other terms with more expressness and particularity of Command upon more lively and pregnant grounds or motives with another edg of Authority under greater severity of punishment threatened in case of disobedience then he had commanded it formerly Many instances from the Scriptures have been presented unto you and many more I doubt not upon a little further search might be added unto them wherein such a construction as this must of necessity be admitted And that this is the true and genuine sence of the place in hand appears yet further by the latter consideration mentioned which respects the state or condition of all Mankind under the times of that ignorance of which the Apostle speaketh and before the days of the Gospel For that the World was then under a Command from God to Repent is evident from hence viz. because otherwise their impenitency and obdurate proceedings in such ways and practises which are contrary to the Law of God yea and the Law of Nature it self had been no sin in them nor obligatory unto punishment the Apostles assertion being express that it is the Law that worketh Wrath i. e. that subjecteth men unto punishment because where no Law is there is no transgression Rom. 4. 15. meaning as he expresseth himself upon the account in the Chapter following vers. 13. that sin is not imputed i. e. charged upon men or punished where there

in the Synod of Dort express themselves to the same purpose thus So then Christ dyed for all Men THAT ALL AND EVERY ONE by the Mediation of Faith MAY through the vertue of this Ransom obtain Remission of Sins and Eternal Life So that the express sence of these men is That even the Heathen themselves omnes singuti to whom the Gospel was never preached in your sence I mean by men and in the letter of it are yet called by God to it yea and may so beleeve that by the Mediation of their Faith through the Ransom payd for them they may obtain Salvation But suppose we for Argument sake that the Heathen to whom the Gospel was never orally preached were not in an immediate capacity of beleeving it upon those terms of beleeving lately signified yet this proves not but that they might be in a remote capacity of beleeving it such a capacity I mean which by a regular and conscientious exercise and acting of those worthy abilities which God had conferred upon them might by the ordinary blessing and according to the standing course of the gracious Providence of God in such cases have risen up and grown to an immediate capacity in this kinde So that for example an Heathen man who never heard of the Name of Christ may notwithstanding by means of the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} i. e. the effect of the Law written in his heart quit himself to such a degree of well-pleasing unto God that God will not fail to reveal or make known his Son Christ unto him after some such manner and degree which shall be saving unto him This is the express Doctrine of learned M. Bucer Here saith he writing upon Rom. 2. let us observe two things That God in no Age whatsoever left Men destitute of the Doctrine of Salvation Therefore who ever at any time perished perished through their own default or neglect For God so bedeweth or besprinkleth Nature with his Light that they onely remain strangers unto Righteousness who willingly and of their own accord cast it from them There are at this day Nations not a few to whom the Gospel of Christ is not sincerely preached others there are WHO HEAR NOTHING OF IT But if these did not voluntarily put from themselves the desire of Righteousness the Lord QUESTIONLESS would so antmate or enliven them with his Spirit that they should or might perform the things of the Law commit themselves wholy to his grace or goodness and do unto their Neighbors what they would that they should do unto them Hence it would come to pass that God would sooner send an Angel unto them as he did unto Cornelius then suffer them to remain ignorant of his Christ But whilest through impious ingratitude they detain his Truth revealed unto them in Unrighteousness they do not onely deserve to have no more of the good Spirit of God given unto them but even to be given up to a reprobate sence c. The other thing to be taken notice of is That we our selves also harken unto the work or effect of the Law which is written in our hearts that same right and divinely impressed sence of things within us whereby we are continually called upon for holy and honest courses and called back from those that are dishonest c. Afterwards upon Vers 25. of the same Chapter he hath these words But as we formerly also shewed this was rather that which Paul intended viz. to offer to the consideration of the Jews that the Gentiles even before Christ was revealed unto them were Partakers of true Righteousness a The clear result of this Discourse is That the Heathen who never had the Gospel or Christ de facto preached in the letter or by men unto them were yet in a sufficient capacity of doing such things upon the account whereof God would have revealed them unto them by one means or other and this upon such terms which should have been available to Salvation I might add much from Calvin and other Protestant Writers of best account of like import who very frequently and familiarly in their Writings promise with greatest confidence the super-vening of the saving Grace of God unto the regular industry and diligence of men in the improvement of the light they have received Yea the substance of this Doctrine is ever and anon preached by those who are by some counted Pillars of the Ministry amongst us at this day who notwithstanding again destroy that Faith which they build up in such a Doctrine by denying the Universality of Redemption by Christ Mr Edmond Calamy in a Sermon preached by him Jan. 12. 1644. on 2 Chron. 25. 2. amongst many other Passages pointing the same way taught his People and Hearers thus A wicked man may do that which is right in the sight of the Lord by the Light of Nature and by the help of common Grace And although God be not bouna to reward him for it yet I DOUBT NOT but God out of the abyss of his Mercies if he make use of common Grace I DO NOT DOUBT I say but God out of his abundant Mercy though he be not bound unto it yet will give him spiritual or special Grace if he make use of common Nature well God will finde some way or other to do good to that mans Soul Luk. 16. 11. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unrighteous Mammon who shall commit to your trust the true riches This place seems to hold out thus much That if a man improves the outward Mercies of God or the work of common Grace God will entrust that man with better riches God will finde out a way to do that man good Afterwards in the same Sermon thus Thou oughtest to do according to the gift and power which God hath given thee in a natural way and that God which hath given thee power to do it in a natural way will NO DOUBT assist thee with power to do things in a spiritual way For that man which improves his natural Talent God will one time or other entrust him with a spiritual Talent For there was never any man went to Hell for CANNOT but for WILL NOT If you shall please further to peruse my Answer to Mr Jenkin entituled {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} pag. 69 70 71 c. you shall finde the concurrent Judgment of some others of no mean esteem for Learning Piety and whatsoever is called Orthodox amongst us And the truth is that in such a Doctrine as this they cleave to the Scriptures themselves and are one spirit with them For when our Saviour towards the cloze of the Parable of the Talents teacheth thus For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath he clearly avoucheth this for Truth That whatsoever a mans original stock in gifts or endowments in one